Martial arts have become very popular in the Western world as a recreational/competitive sport. One of the most common and useful moves in nearly any martial art is the kick. There are multiple types of kicks, each with its own use.

Steps

Method1

Front Kick

The front kick ("Mae Geri" in Japanese, "Ahp Chagi" in Korean) is generally used to attack a target's legs, groin, solar plexus, throat or face. Because punching their face doesn't damage them as much as a kick to the shin. Also because of its simplicity, the front kick can be used rapidly with little sacrifice to power. It is one of the first technique a martial arts student often learns.

1

Stand in a fighting stance. The preferred fighting stance differs between different disciplines, but the general rule is that your dominant leg is behind your other leg - the dominant leg's toe pointed to its side. Your secondary leg is in front, its toe pointed straight forward. Your torso is generally facing the direction of your dominant leg (righties' bodies will face right & vice versa). Your hands should be in a guard position.

2

If you want a faster kick, you will use your front foot (secondary leg). If you want a more powerful front kick, use your back leg (primary)

3

Raise your kicking-leg's knee so your thigh is parallel to the ground, about hip/waist level. This is called chambering. Breathe in as you do this.

4

Kick your leg, snapping it forward quickly. With a front kick you can use the ball of your foot or your instep as a striking surface. As you kick, rapidly release the air in your lungs. Doing so will ensure that if you are doing kicking drills, you don't forget to breathe (which is easier to forget than it sounds!). Remember, breath in when you contract, breath out when you expand. This also will relax your body, allowing for proper technique, because holding air in means your muscles are too tense, and you are trying to control your kick too much, which weakens the kick, slows it down and will tire you out faster.

5

Unsnap your leg so your thigh is once again parallel to the ground.

6

Set your leg back on the ground. If you used your secondary leg for the kick, it will go back where it started. If you used your back leg, place it down as if it were your secondary leg (switching sides on your stance)

7

Variations in execution include height, power, speed, and whether or not you return your foot to the ground. Many disciplines have techniques where you do multiple kicks with one foot, and it never returns to the ground.

Method2

Side-thrust Kick

The side-thrust kick ("Yoko Geri" in Japanese, "Yuhp Chagi" in Korean) is a significantly more powerful pushing kick. Not meant for rapid attacks as much as it is to deal significant damage to the target. It is also slightly more difficult to execute. One mental image trick that seem to work very well even with younger children is the 'chamber' 'explode' metaphor. Get the student to visualize a bullet being chambered in a gun while picking up the kicking leg as high as possible. Then being fired with the 'explosion' out of the chamber. This trick really seems to help the student pull up their leg as high as possible then push with their heel to generate a lot of power. Just a metaphor tip.

1

Stand in a fighting stance

2

Bring your back leg up so your knee is near your chest, and your foot is somewhere near your hips (early on, don't worry about bringing it up quite this high, but the goal is to have the sole of your foot facing down, and the outside ("knife side") of your foot facing your target). This is sometimes called the "cocked position" because you are ready to fire.

3

Kick your leg such that your kicking foot will draw a straight line from the cocked position to its destination. Kick with the heel of your foot, or if you are more advanced, the knife side of your foot. As you kick, rotate on the ball of your foot so that your heel ends pointed toward your target.

4

Return to the cocked position. Simultaneously rotate back to your starting position on the ball of your foot.

5

Return your foot to the ground, in front of you. Your back leg now should have been your front leg before the kick, and vice versa.

Method3

Side-snap Kick

The side-snap kick is a faster version of the side kick, often employed in sparing to earn points for hitting the opponent's groin.

1

Stand in a fighting stance

2

Slide your kicking foot up your standing leg to your knee

3

Arc your kicking foot outwards towards your target (preferably under their kick). Use the same foot position as the side thrust kick.

4

Without pausing, arc your foot back towards your knee.

5

Slide your foot down your leg back to the ground. End in a fighting stance.

Method4

Roundhouse Kick(also known as the turning kick)

The Roundhouse Kick ("Mawashi Geri" in Japanese, "Dul-yoh Chagi" in Korean) is probably the most common kick in combat. It is powerful like a side kick, but quick like a front kick.

1

Stand in a fighting stance

2

Bring either leg up as if you were to do a front kick. Using your front leg will be more sudden, but your back leg is significantly more powerful, and more aggressive, because you step forward. Instead of holding your calf vertical with your knee pointing upwards, drop your knee as if you were doing a front kick sideways. To do this properly, it is very important that you turn your hips into the kick because it is all in the hips! This is the cocked position

3

Kick with a rapid snapping motion. You will use the ball of your foot, your shin or your instep to strike with (again, depending on where you wish to strike) Remember to always kick through your target.

4

Return to the cocked position

5

Set your leg down so that it is now your front leg (if it wasn't already) Or you make sure that your leg returns to it's initial position, this should be rapidly as soon as you've delivered your full force to the target.

6

If done properly, you should be able to throw your body into your kick without throwing your weight off center and losing balance. It will also be smooth in execution, not as robotic as the steps make it out to be.

Method5

Rear Leg Roundhouse Jeet Kune Do Style

This kick is more effective as a finishing kick. It has a very strong thrust to it. The downside is it doesn't look cool, so don't use it to impress people

1

Keep your rear leg and your front leg forward. Lift your leg and use the Shin and kick straight. If one uses the instep or ball of the foot, it can really damage them if they do the next step properly. While the leg is in air, do not snap, but follow through. Karate experts would not agree for they can pull one off of their balance. Really, if the height is going in and there is little weight off the front.

Find a local dojo, community center, or club that offers karate. You should be able to find them pretty easily online. They will be able to help you get registered so you can start your karate classes!

Look at your opponent's stance, style and how fast they attack. When they have an opening, strike with a fast kick. After you've made a bigger opening, continue your attacks and try to do some harder kicks, when they won't have time to react properly.

Maybe try watching YouTube videos, get some karate instruction manuals, and stretch frequently. A big part of learning karate is sparring, however, and you can't do that without a partner and supervision from an expert.

Keep your fists up with your palms facing your face in a parallel position. You don't want to get hit in the face. Always keep your chin down.

Warnings

When sparring use kicks as final moves to a lengthy combination of punches so that you can inflict heavy damage and push your foe away from you.

Don't kick with your toes, as this can cause damage. Use the lower shin but above the ankle

Kicks require extensive training in order to both be effective and to keep you from hurting yourself, so don't try to use these in actual combat unless you've had training.

Remember to snap back the kicking leg, as it can be grabbed by the opponent.

Be careful with your knees when using kicks. If you can, try to avoid kicking mid air, instead kicking a heavy bag. Never lock your knees when kicking either. Always keep your knee a little bit bent, no matter what kick you are using.

To do a front kick in martial arts, get into fighting stance with your dominant leg behind your other leg. Inhale as you raise your dominant knee up to hip level, then straighten your leg quickly so that it snaps forward into the kick. You can use the ball of your foot or your instep to strike. Don't forget to exhale as you kick! Then, bend your leg at the knee and lower your foot back to the ground.